Policy Evaluation and Policy Style Analysis of Ride-Hailing in China from the Perspective of Policy Instruments: The Introduction of a TOE Three-Dimensional Framework

Abstract

Online ride-hailing in China brings convenience for the public, but it has caused several problems, such as inadequate supervision, data security risks, and financial risks. This new industry has also disrupted the traditional taxi market. China’s government implemented some policies, which were initially disorderly tightening, and then formed the policy system responding to various needs for tackling these issues gradually. There were some policy fluctuations and regulatory effects during this period, therefore, it is imminent to evaluate the online ride-hailing policy text. In this paper, we took 43 online ride-hailing policies as samples, with the consideration of policy instruments and statistical inspection methods. In this paper, we also constructed an innovative three-dimensional analysis framework by combining content analysis, and further identify the ride-hailing policy development during different stages of development periods (2016–2022). Digging into the problems existing in the new online ride-hailing, policies were drawn by module division, unit coding, inductive statistics, the quantitative evaluation of policy text content, and TOE (technology-organization-environment) style analysis. Finally, we provide insightful policy recommendations for online ride-hailing policies, committed to providing theoretical support and a decision-making basis for governance policies in the transportation industry.